Container



July 3, 1951 W. H. AYRES CONTAINER Filed July 8, 1946 V4 INVENTOR.

BY van Z a y 4rrae/vc'ys filling and prior Patented July 3, 1951 STATESPATEN CONTAINER Application July 8, 1946, Serial No. 681,790

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to containers or cans adapted to bevacuumized or gassed after to being sealed with a cover and hasparticular reference to a can having a venting channel while the coveris fully seated but in an unsealed condi'ion permitting gases to passinto or from the can during a gassing or vacuumizing operation.

In vacuumizing filled cans prior to closing and sealing it customary toapply the cover to the can loosely so that the cover will retain thecontents in the can while the air is wi' hdrawn throu en the small spacebetween the cover flange and the can flange. Sometimes the cover isinadvertently pressed home tightl on its seat in the can or is tight onone side and loose on the other. Under such conditions either no vacuumat all is drawn on the can interior or. as when the cover is loose onone side, the vacuum is drawn Wholly throurh this side with the resultthat vacuumization is not properly distributed. This improperdistribution of the vacuum pull on the can sometimes results in some ofthe contents of the can being drawn up into the space between the canand cover flanges, especially when the conents are of a pulverized orpowdery nature, such as coffee, and the products. This causes difficultyin or prevents proper sealing of the cover onto the can.

Several patents have been issued on devices for overcoming thisdifficulty by the use of grooves or notches in the can or cover flangesbut it appears that none of these patents provide for fully seating thecover on the can so that it will retain its place during handling priorto and following the vacuuinizing operation.

The instant invention contemplates providing full and proper seatingwhile at the same time providing a venting feature. the can or the coverbeing formed with a continuous venting channel that extends across thecan or cover flange and continues on down into the adjacent side wall ofthe can or cover and terminates in a fashion that permits of the freepassage of gases into or out of the can interior while the cover isfully seated on the can but in an unsealed condition.

It has been found that when such a continuous vent passage is formed inthe can, it stiffens the adjacent mouth of the can and provides a con-;trol on the line of bend connecting the body flange to the can body.This reenforcement of the can adjacent its mouth insures a desiredpredetermined line of bend for the flange and further insures the properwidth of the flange 'so that the length of the seam hook can be readilymaintained when the flange is being incorporated in the double seamwhich seals the cover onto the can.

An object of the inveniion is the provision of a can having a ventingchannel formed of a con- 2 struction which permits of vacuuinizing thecan interior while the cover is fully seated on the can but in anunsealed condition and which prevents the contents of the from beingdrawn by the vacuum up into the seam, especially when the contents ofthe can are of a pulverized or powdery nature.

Another object is the provision of such a can wherein a plurality of theventing :lannels are distributed around the mouth of the can so as toequalize the vacuum pull on the interior of the can, these ventingchannels being set off in one embodiment by projections formed in thecan flange and the adjacent bod portion of the can and terminatinginside the can well below the cover when the latter is fully seated onthe can thus insuring a continuous passageway from the interior of thecan to its exterior so that gases bypass freely into or out of the can.

Another object is the provision of such a can wherein the ventingprojections stiffen the body of the can adjacent its mouth and thusfacilitate the forming of a flange thereon having a predetermined lineof bend connecting the flange with the body.

Another object is the provision of such a can wherein the veniingproject-ions facilitate the formation of flanges of uniform width sothat the hook length of the flange when incorporated in a double seam,may be uniformly maintained.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is bet'ier understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an uncovered can body embodying theinstant invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan detail of the flange of the can, with partsbroken away;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the flange portion of the can shown inFig, 2, with parts broken away;

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged sectional details of a portion of the can asviewed substan'ially along the planes indicated b the respective lines6-4, 55 in Fig. 1, the views showinga portion of a cover loosely butfully s ated in place on the can before sealing;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 5 showing the cover sealed inplace on the can; and

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing;-

further embodimer rt pf the invention.

Sealing of the cover onto the can body preferably is effected by aninterfolding of flange parts on the can body and on the cover. Suchinterfolding produces a tight joint of the well known double seamvariety.

For this purpose the can body II (Figs. 1 an 4) adjacent its mouth,indicated by the numeral I4, is formed with an outwardly and upwardlyinclined projecting flange I5 disposed at an obtuse angle to said bodyand connected with the can body by a curved wall section I6.

The cover I2 preferably is of a countersunk panel type and is formedwith the usual bottom panel wall section 2 I adapted to fit within thecan body II when the cover is in sealing position. This bottom wallsection 2| merges into a surrounding upright annular friction wallsection 22 which at its top edge merges into an outwardly projectingannular flange 23. The flange terminates preferably in an edge curl 24.A sealing gasket 25 is carried on the inner surface of the flange 23,this constituting a usual feature for a conventional lined flanged cancover.

When the cover I2 is in sealing position on the can body II, the uprightfriction wall section 22 f the cover engages snugly against the innersurface of the body adjacent the curved wall section It of the body. Thecover flange 23 overlies the flange I of the body with the cover flangegasket 25 contacting and resting on the outer edge of the body flange.In this position the cover is fully seated on the body.

Provision is made to facilitate vacuumizing or gassing of the contentsof the can while the cover I2 is in its fully seated position on the canbody I I but the cover is in an unsealed condition. For this purpose thecan body adjacent its mouth I4, in one embodiment of the invention, isformed with a plurality of shallow venting projections or corrugations26 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5) which set off shallow venting ghayels gl.

These venting projections and channels are arranged in spaced relationaround the periphery of the can body so that the can will be vented fromall sides in a minimum time interval without disturbing the product inthe can.

These venting pr oject ions 26 extend radially across the full width ofdrainage I5 of the can body ma horizontal position, substantially at anangle of 90 degrees to the axis of the body. Inwardly adjacent thecurved Wall section I6 each projection is formed with a sharp line ofbend 29. Below this bend 29 the projection continues down verticallyalong the body, terminating just below and in spaced relation to thebottom panel wall section 2I of the cover I2 as a recess 32, as bestshown in Fig. 5.

This construction of venting projection provides a continuous ventingchannel in the body flange and in the body itself so that free passageof gases into and from the interior of the can may be had even when thecover is fully seated on the can body. The drawings necessarilyexaggerate the depth of these channels. In some instances they may bevery shallow such as a few thousandths of an inch in depth, in whichcase they serve as a screen preventing powdery materials, such as coffeeor the like, from being drawn up into the flange parts of the body andthe cover where it would interfere with proper forming of the doubleseam.

Such a continuous venting channel is of great advantage in can gassingoperations. In such operations, the interior of the can is firstvacuumized, usually while the can is in a chamber.

The vacuum on the chamber is then cut off and the gas is introduced intothe chamber and passes into the can interior. Often the incoming gasexerts a pressure against the cover on the vacuumized can and thispresses the cover down into a fully seated position on the can.Ordinarily with the conventional can and cover this would cut offcommunication with the interior of the can. In the present improvedconstruction the continuous unobstructed venting channels 21 of theinstant invention prevent this con dition. Instead communication withthe can interior is maintained even when the cover is fully seated.

The venting projections 26 also stiffen or reenforce the can body IIadjacent its mouth M and preserve the contour of the can body. Thisfacilitates centering and proper positioning of the cover onto the can.

An important factor in maintaining an open channel is the sharp line ofbend 29 in each of the venting projections 26. This line of bendprovides a control on the width of the body flange I5 and thus insuresproper length of the body hook when the flange is incorporated in adouble seam. The formation of the seam is performed in the usual mannerafter the can interior has been vacuumized and/or gassed, and in theseaming Operation the cover flange 23 is interfolded with the bodyflange I5 in a double seam 35 (Fig. 6). This hermetically seals thecover in place on the can. Such a seaming operation in the presentinvention entirely obliterates the venting p oj e ctions sfiown'irTFig.'GT

In other words in forming the double seam 35, the body flange I5 alwaysbends along the sharp line of bend 29 of the respective Ventingprojections 26. The entire line of bend for the entire flange thus isuniform and a body flange of predetermined width is insured. Thisresults in the formation of body hooks of uniform length Within thedouble seam. This control of the hook length also insures uniformheights of the can bodies.

Figure '7 illustrates a slightly diiferent embodi:

ment of the invention. In this variation a pit rality of continuousventing projections 38 are formed in the cover ifitead dfffi'tlieiaifbody. The venting projections 38 extend radially across theflange 23 and down along and inside of the friction wall section 22 ofthe cover and terminate in the bottom panel wall 2I. These projectionsset off continuous venting channels 39 which at one end communimitlf tlie iiitefib'fof the can body adjacent the bottom panel wall section 2| ofthe cover. At its opposite end each channel 39 extends beyond the outeredge of the body flange I5 and communicates with the exterior of the canbody. In operation these venting channels in the cover function in thesame manner as those in the can body when used for vacuumizing and/orgassing filled cans.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages. the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a container adapted to be vacuumized prior to scaling, thecombination of a container nd e sh body provided with a double seamingflange, and a container cover having an upright wall section merged intoa double seaming flange terminating in a curled edge said flangeinterlocking with the flange of said container body in a sealed joint,said cover having continuous venting projections formed in its uprightwall section and extending into its flange and terminating inside ofsaid curled edge for venting of the interior of the container when saidcover is in fully seated unsealed position on the body, said ventingprojections setting off continuous venting channels between the interiorand the exterior of the container for venting the container prior to andduring sealing.

2. In a container adapted to be vacuumized or gassed prior to scaling,the combination of a body member having an upright body wall and adouble seaming flange extending outwardly from said body wall andconnected thereto by a curved wall section, a cover having an uprightcountersink wall and a double seaming flange extending outwardly fromsaid countersink wall, said countersink wall entering into said bodymember and contacting said upright body wall below said curved wallsection when said cover member is fully seated on said body member, anda pluralit of shallow, substantially right-angled, peripherally spacedventing projections formed in said body member, each projectionextending from the edge of and across said body flange and around saidcurve wall section and into and vertically along said upright body wallto a point substantially below said cover countersink wall, and Settingoff a continuous, substantially right-angled, shallow venting channelbetween the exterior and interior of the container.

3. In a container adapted to be vacuumized or gassed prior to sealing,the combination of a body member having an upright body wall and adouble seaming flange extending outwardly from said body wall andconnected thereto by a curved wall section, a cover having an uprightcountersink wall and a double seaming flange extending outwardly fromsaid countersink wall, said countersink wall entering into said bodymember and contacting said upright body wall below said curved wallsection when said cover member is fully seated on said body member, anda plurality of shallow, substantially right-angled, peripherally spacedventing projections formed in said body member, each projectionextending from the edge of and across said body flange and around saidcurved wall section and into and vertically along said upright body wallto a point below said cover countersink wall, and setting off acontinuous, substantially right-angled, shallow venting channel betweenthe exterior and interior of the container, each of said projectionshaving a sharp line of bend formed in said curved wall section, saidlines of bend determining the width of 'said body flange and the lengthof the resulting body hook for securing the cover onto the body in adouble seam.

WILLIAM H. AYRES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain 1897

